On Saturday evening, Baker Arts Center will be exhibiting 66 pieces of artwork as unique as the individuals that created them. During the 12th Annual National Juried Art Exhibit, 24 states of the union will be represented.

According to Baker Arts Center Art Director Diane Marsh, Juror Dan Addington, owner of the Addington Gallery in Chicago, has his work cut out for him.

“First, of course, what we have to do is find a juror, someone who will pick the entries and pick the winners for us,” Marsh said of the planning process for the show. “We try to kind of spread that around the country so it is not someone from the same part of the world.

“This year, the juror is from Chicago, and we have not had anyone from that part of the country yet as a juror,” she continued. “He will be coming in for the opening. From the show, he will be picking the actual prize winners. He had more than 330 images submitted and he narrowed it down to 66, which is a lot of choices to make – obviously.”

From ceramics to photographs to oil paintings to a sculpture made of glass, iron and wood, Addington will have a medley of pieces to choose from.

“We have separate categories, there is photography, two-dimensional which can be paintings, drawings or prints,” Marsh said. “The three-dimensional ranges from sculptures, there is a glass, wood and steel sculpture, there are several ceramic sculptural pieces and another artist that combined some things to do some sculptural things.

“Then we have another artist who does pine needles,” she added. “She had work in the show last year and got some work in again. She had some really unique pieces – I was glad she sent some stuff this year.”

According to Marsh, it is interesting to see artists prove their talent by repeatedly being selected for the show each year – by completely different jurors.

“That is always fun to see returning artists getting in with a different juror,” Marsh said. “Their artwork is of a quality that different jurors are picking it to be in the show.”

Although 24 states will be represented at the 12th Annual National Juried Art Exhibit, there are several local artists among quite a few Kansas artists.

“We have two actual artists living here in Liberal and a couple of others that have connections to Liberal,” Marsh said. “Susan Koons has a piece and Lisa Campbell does as well. Marko Fields used to be the ceramics instructor at the college. He now lives in Minneapolis, and he actually hand delivered a piece on his way to Mexico. There will be some recognition there with that name.

“We have a lot of people from Hays again this year,” she explained. “Some different people from Hays and a couple of the same. One of the instructors at Garden City College, David Kinder, has a painting in the show. There are a couple of Dodge City artists as well. There is also someone from Manhattan. There are quite a few Kansas artists which usually there is a high percentage of Kansas artists that submit to the show. I guess that is because they can actually bring their work and not have to ship it.”

A high percentage of the work displayed during the show will be for sale, Marsh said. Although a private reception will be conducted to open the show on Saturday, the exhibit will officially open to the public on Tuesday.

Those at Baker Arts Center would like to invite the public to come out and view the work of artists that will be vying for $7,600 in prize money this weekend.

Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m., as well as 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. The artwork will be on display through Feb. 20.

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The High Plains Daily Leader and Southwest Daily Times are published Sunday through Friday and reaches homes throughout the Liberal, Kansas retail trade zone. The Leader & Times is the official newspaper of Seward County, USD No. 480, USD No. 483 and the cities of Liberal and Kismet. The Leader & Times is a member of the Liberal Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas Press Association and the Associated Press.

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